Customer Experience (CX) is the top priority for organizations looking to increase their technology spending in 2023.
– Metrigy Research
Providing excellent customer experience (CX) is imperative for business success. With technological advancements every other day, increased competition, and changing consumer behavior, it is only becoming more and more difficult for organizations to deliver a remarkable customer experience. Brands with a proper CX strategy get an edge over their competition and have high brand loyalty levels. On the contrary, brands that fail to provide quality CX fail to stay relevant and struggle to rise.
AgreeYa believes CX is a key competitive differentiator, which is why we have done the research. We have gathered six customer experience trends and tendencies, which are gaining momentum right now.
1: Personalization will be a defining factor
To survive in the crowded marketplace, organizations must establish a unique position and develop a competitive edge by differentiating their product, service, personnel, or brand. However, creating a differentiating factor can take more work than it seems. Personalization can provide a huge impetus for brands to deliver delightful CX. Seemingly trivial things like addressing a customer by name while interacting through different mediums create the sense that their favorite brand values them or recognizes their likes, dislikes, or moves and provides results on that basis.
The year 2023 will see more of these kinds of personalization. Organizations will start leveraging the valuable customer data they have to understand the needs of their customers, behaviors, interests, and more. With the analytical data at hand, they can determine what their customers want – how they want and deliver them a buying experience like never before. For instance, after analyzing a customer’s past purchases, organizations can suggest related or complementary products, giving them a fulfilling buying experience.
2: Automation and Self-Service to Ease Staffing Shortages
Staffing shortage is not a problem that can fix itself. But organizations cannot take it as an excuse. They must find creative and technology-driven solutions to overcome staffing shortages and deliver the best customer experience. As a workaround, more and more organizations have started automating time-consuming, repetitive, yet business-critical tasks so they can utilize their workforce in the best way possible. Organizations are automating contact centers and warehouse operations to reduce the need for human workers.
Additionally, organizations are implementing self-service options like Chatbots for customers to serve them with answers to their queries instantly. Due to technological advancements, Chatbots can emulate humans while answering customer queries. It leverages the power of artificial intelligence to observe how customer service representatives act and imitates them to interact with the customers. In 2023, self-service options will soar and go beyond Chatbots. Organizations will create interactive short videos and voice memos to empower customers with the knowledge to solve their problems and get answers to their queries on their own whenever they require.
3: Streamlined Omnichannel Journeys
A customer’s buying journey includes several touchpoints across digital space. It is crucial for organizations to be present for the customers on every channel and provide them with a seamless, personalized experience. The messaging across all communication channels must be coherent and consistent. If done right, this can help them gain a competitive edge over others. However, this can be a little challenging too.
In 2023, organizations will focus on investing in the right tools and strategies to provide an end-to-end omnichannel experience to customers even after post-sales.
4: Voice Navigation is going to be a Big Thing
Who knew that the first modern digital virtual assistant ‘Siri’ installed on a smartphone launched in 2011, would gain such popularity over time? Over the years, people have changed their browsing habits. They are open to using their voice as a new language to communicate with the machines, and this trend will continue to spur in 2023.
According to eMarketer forecasts, nearly 92.3% of smartphone users will likely employ voice assistants by 2023. Providing a voice-based navigation feature for the customers on the website or business applications can transform the customers’ buying experience.
5: Video Content to Drive Better Engagement
According to data collected by Statista, over three billion Internet users watched streaming or downloaded video at least once per month in 2020. This number is projected to increase annually, reaching nearly 3.5 billion by 2023. As the world is shifting to 5G technologies, new opportunities are created for organizations and individuals. High-speed Internet will be commonplace for everyone, and with this, people’s appetite for content will increase.
With this new technology, organizations have more than one way to market their content. They can offer video content to their audiences for greater engagement. This trend will continue to grow in 2023. Therefore, organizations must start planning for more video content if they want to connect with their customers better.
6: Privacy and security
Due to a significant increase in cybercrime over the past few years, in 2023, both customers and organizations will be on alert. Customers will not readily share their data over the Internet for everyone’s access. Organizations need to build a sense of security for the customers if they want them to trust their business. They will communicate the security policies clearly and be transparent about how they will use the information, taking extra precautions to ensure its security.
Bonus: Virtual Platforms for an Engaging Customer Experience
Organizations such as Meta, Nvidia, and Microsoft have already started showing curiosity about concepts like ‘Metaverse’. This new technology trend will create new opportunities for organizations to interact and engage with customers. This involves integrating virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies to provide a sense that the customers are talking with the brand personnel in person. This approach will go a long way when it comes to brand recognition.
CX will be a Strong Factor in 2023
A 2022 Redpoint Global survey revealed that 74% of consumers feel brand loyalty is about feeling understood and valued rather than discounts and loyalty perks.
As digital technologies evolve, customers expect new standards of CX. New technologies like AR/VR, big data, and intelligent automation have revolutionized how organizations interact with customers. By going the extra mile, organizations can make their customers happy, increase customer retention to maintain the brand’s current customer base, and increase loyalty.